To which obedience was performed, and the several Orders for
listing and drawing together any Forces of the Counties, as also
that other of listing the Reformadoes Officers to engage in the
Parliaments Service are nulled and void.

But the Parliament debate the suspension of their eleven Mem∣bers,*and vote, That by Law no Iudgment can be given to suspend
those Members, before the particulars of the Papers be produced, and
the proofs made. Nor have those Members done or said any thing with∣in
the House for which the House can suspend them.

But the Army is displeased, the eleven Members forbear the
House.

But not to affright the Parliament and City by being too near
with the Army, they removed to Backhamstead, seven and twenty
Miles from London, thence to Uxbridg the six and twentieth of
Iune, and the King came from Roiston to Hatfield to the Earl of
Salisbury's, and thence to Causam the Lord Craven's.

The Army answer these Votes,* That they can prove them guilty
of such practices in the House as will be just for the House to suspend
them.

And that by the Laws of the Land and the Parliaments Prece∣dents
in the E. of Strafford, Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and the Lord
Keeper Finch, and others, upon very Papers of Accusation they
were suspended the sitting in Parliament; and yet the Army is
ready to give in a Charge against them, and because the Members
have of themselves forborn the House, they are to be so forborn
till they be proceeded against, which is ready, Iune 27.

And yet to comply with the Desires of the Parliament the Ar∣my
remove to Wickham.

And truly as the Kings Surprizal at Holmby, and those future
Distractions amazed most men to foresee the Issue and effects, so it
put the King into serious contemplation, as he expresses himself.

What part God will have me now to act or suffer in this new and
strange Scene of Affairs,* I am not much solicitous; some little practice
will serve that man, who onely seeks to represent a part of honesty and
honour.

This Surprize of Me tells the World, that a King cannot be so low,
but he is considerable; adding weight to that party where he appears.

This motion, like others of the times, seems excentrick and irregu∣lar,
Page 990
yet not well to be resisted or quieted: Better swim down such a stream,
then in vain to strive against it.

These are but the strugglings of those Twins, which lately one womb
enclosed; the younger striving to prevail against the elder: what the
Presbyterians have hunted after, the Independents now seek to catch
for themselves.

So impossible it is for lines to be drawn from the center, and not to di∣vide
from each other, so much the wider, by how much they go farther from
the point of union.

That the builders of Babel should from division fall to confusion,
is no wonder; but for those that pretend to build Jerusalem, to di∣vide
their tongues and hands, is but an ill Omen; and sounds too
like the fury of those Zealots, whose intestine bitternesse and divi∣sions
were the greatest occasion of the last fatal destruction of that
City.

Well may I change my Keepers and Prison, but not my Captive
condition; only with this hope of bettering, that those, who are so much
professed Patrons for the peoples Liberties, cannot be utterly against the
Libertie of their King; what they demand for their own Conscien∣ces,
they cannot in reason denie to mine.

In this they seem more ingenious then the Presbyterian rigor, who,
sometimes complaining of exacting their conformitie to Laws, are be∣come
the greatest Exactors of other mens submission to their novel injun∣ctions,
before they are stamped with the Authority of Laws, which they
cannot well have without my consent.

'Tis a great argument, that the Independents think themselves ma∣numitted
from their Rival's service, in that they carry on a business of
such consequence, as the assuming my person into the Armies custodie,
without any Commission, but that of their own will and power. Such as
will thus adventure on a King, must not be thought over-modest, or ti∣morous
to carry on any design they have a minde to.

The next motion menace's, and scares both the two Houses and the
City: which soon after, acting over again that former part of Tumul∣tuarie
motions, (never questioned, punished, or repented of) must now
suffer for both; and see their former sin in the glass of the present ter∣rors
and distractions.

No man is so blinde as not to see herein the hand of Divine Iustice;
they that by Tumults first occasioned the raising of Armies, must now be
chastened by their own Armie for new Tumults.

So hardly can men be content with one sin, but add sin to sin, till the
later punish the former; such as were content to see me and many Mem∣bers
of both Houses driven away by the first unsuppressed Tumults, are
now forced to flie to an Armie, or defend themselves against
them.

But who can unfold the riddle of some mens justice? The Members
of both Houses who at first withdrew (as my self was forced to do) from
Page 991
the rudeness of the Tumults, were counted Desertors, and outed of their
places in Parliament: such as staied then, and enjoyed the bene∣fit
of the Tumults, were asserted for the only Parliament men.

Now the fliers from, and forsakers of their places, carry the Par∣liamentary
power along with them; complain highly against the Tu∣mults,
and vindicate themselves by an Army: Such as remained and
kept their Stations, are looked upon as Abettors of Tumultuarie Insolen∣cies,
and Betraiers of the Freedom and honour of Parliament.

Thus is Power above all Rule, Order, and Law; where men look more
to present Advantages then their Consciences, and the unchangeable
Rules of Iustice; while they are Iudges of others: they are forced to
condemn themselves.

Now the plea against Tumults holds good; the Authors and Abettors
of them are guilty of prodigious insolencies; when as before, they were
counted as Friends and necessary Assistants.

I see Vengeance pursues and overtakes (as the Mice and Rats are said
to have done a Bishop in Germany) them that thought to have escaped
and fortified themselves most impregnably against it, both by their mul∣titude
and compliance.

Whom the Laws cannot, God will punish by their own crimes and
hands.

I cannot but observe this divine Iustice, yet with sorrow and pitie;
for, I alwaies wished so well to the Parliament and City, that I was sorry
to see them doe, or suffer any thing unworthy such great and considerable
bodies in this Kingdom.

I was glad to see them only scared and humbled, not broken by that
shaking: I never had so ill a thought of those Cities as to despair of their
Loyalty to me; which mistakes might Eclipse, but I never believed ma∣lice
had quite put out.

I pray God the storm be yet wholly passed over them; upon whom I
look, as Christ did sometime over Jerusalem, as Objects of my praiers
and tears, with compassionate grief, fore-seeing those severer scatter∣ings
which will certainly befall such as wantonly refuse to be gathered to
their duty: fatall blindeness frequently attending and punishing wilful;
so that men shall not be able at last to prevent their sorrows who would
not timely repent of their sins; nor shall they be suffered to enjoy the com∣forts,
who securely neglect the counsels belonging to their peace. They
will finde that Brethren in iniquitie are not far from becoming insolent
enemies, there being nothing harder then to keep ill men long in one
minde.

Nor is it possible to gain a fair period for those Notions which go ra∣ther
in a round and circle of phansie, then in a right line of Reason tend∣ing
to the Law, the onely Center of publick consistencie; whither I pray
God at last bring all sides.

Which will easily be done, when we shall fully see how much more
happy we are, to be subject to the known Laws, then to the va∣rious
Page 992
Wills of any men, seem they never so plausible at
first.

Vulgar compliance with any illegal and extravagant waies, like vi∣olent
motions in nature, soon grows wearie of it self, and ends in a re∣fractory
sullenness. Peoples rebounds are oft in their faces▪ who first
put them upon those violent strokes.

For the Army (which is so far excusable, as they Act according to
Souldiers Principles and interests, demanding Pay and Indempnitie) I
think it necessarie, in order to the publick peace, that they should be sa∣tisfied,
as far as is just; no man being more prone to consider then my
self: though they have fought against me, yet I cannot but so far esteem
that valour and gallantrie they have sometime sh•wed, as to wi•h I may
never want such men to maintain my self, my Laws, and my Kingdoms,
in such a Peace, as wherein they may enjoy their share and proportion
as much as any men.

The King had made a suit to the Parliament,* to vouchsafe him
the comfort of seeing his Chrildren (at Syon) as he passed towards
Windsor, but was not admitted. He being now at Causam (the
Lord Cravens House) made his case known to the General, who
resents it so much that he Writes to the Speaker of the Commons
House, and the same to the Lords. And answered the Parliaments
Exceptions, because the Duke of Richmond and two of the Kings
Chaplains had access to him.